Hi all. I'd like to thank you for the great forum you've created. I'm 62 years old and shaved with a safety razor until about 40 years ago when the cartridge razors came on the scene. For the last 20 years or so I've had a problem with adult acne. I went to a dermatologist and she prescribed something that helped but it never went away. I thought shaving was irritating my skin. I was going months between changing cartridges-I didn't know any better. I switched to an Braun electric razor which cured the problem but it took really long to shave with mainly due to the fact that there was no shaving cream to tell me where I'd shaved and where I hadn't. I also started getting a 5 o'clock shadow around 2 and I don't have a heavy beard.
Then I discovered your website and that double edge razors were coming back. I learned that I'd been infecting myself with bacteria because I wasn't changing cartridges nearly enough, that using multi-blade cartridges was like multiplying the number of passes with the razor by the number of blades (duh) and that using products and methods both pre and post shave would not only give me a closer shave but a more rewarding experience. It's also extremely easy to keep everything clean and comparatively cheap to change blades so as not to infect and irritate my skin.
The hardware-the first shaving "kit" I purchased was a Merkur Futur adjustable, Derby blades, a Parker silver tip badger brush and a stainless steel shaving bowl. The "potions"-Proraso pre-shave cream for sensitive skin, Proraso shaving soap for sensitive skin and Thayer's witch hazel with aloe/medicated. I shower, using soap and a lufa, leaving the brush to soak in the sink in warm water while I do. Once showered, I apply the pre-shave cream (really refreshing), mix up the shaving cream and have at it. After, I first rinse with hot water, then cold and then dry my skin. Next I apply the witch hazel, which smells great-like cloves; I wish the smell lasted longer. My razor works well but I found that I have to keep drying my hands and the razor's handle so I can control it and don't cut myself-too slick. I found the Proraaso soap clumpy and hard to work into a lather. I've been changing blades about once per week but shave only 3-4 times per week. In general, I'm getting a great shave and discovered how pleasant it is to take a little extra time and do it right.
I have a second home and decided to get a second razor and shaving kit. I purchased Feather razor with Feather blades and the same Parker brush. The Merkur is going to the weekend house. I bought the same Proraso pre-shave cream but changed to Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream, which is much easier to build a lather with and smells better than the Proraso soap, less "medication" smell. I probably splurged a little quickly on the Feather but what a razor! It shaves closely and is damn near impossible to cut myself with. I love the fact that the handle is knurled which eliminates the need to keep drying my hands and the razor as I do with the Merkur. During my exploration of your site and others I discovered scuttles and purchased a G12 from Georgetown Pottery, which works like a charm-warm lather is fantastic. I've watched a few on line videos of guys mixing up shaving cream and have to say that I don't mix up anywhere near the amount the guys in the videos mix up-maybe they do it for demonstration purposes. I mix enough to thoroughly load the brush and about 1/4" in the scuttle. This is more than enough for 4 full face lathers thick enough that you can't see skin when applied (3 shaves, one with the grain, one against, the third cross-grain and the fourth for touch-ups as I'm still getting my technique down). I'm getting a shave that lasts twice as long as when I used cartridges and my skin has cleared up. I've found I've also gained an appreciation for how rewarding an experience shaving with a double edge razor can be. You can teach an old dog new tricks! Wish I'd learned this "trick" years ago. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated-better than learning from the school of hard knocks. Thanks again!
I
Then I discovered your website and that double edge razors were coming back. I learned that I'd been infecting myself with bacteria because I wasn't changing cartridges nearly enough, that using multi-blade cartridges was like multiplying the number of passes with the razor by the number of blades (duh) and that using products and methods both pre and post shave would not only give me a closer shave but a more rewarding experience. It's also extremely easy to keep everything clean and comparatively cheap to change blades so as not to infect and irritate my skin.
The hardware-the first shaving "kit" I purchased was a Merkur Futur adjustable, Derby blades, a Parker silver tip badger brush and a stainless steel shaving bowl. The "potions"-Proraso pre-shave cream for sensitive skin, Proraso shaving soap for sensitive skin and Thayer's witch hazel with aloe/medicated. I shower, using soap and a lufa, leaving the brush to soak in the sink in warm water while I do. Once showered, I apply the pre-shave cream (really refreshing), mix up the shaving cream and have at it. After, I first rinse with hot water, then cold and then dry my skin. Next I apply the witch hazel, which smells great-like cloves; I wish the smell lasted longer. My razor works well but I found that I have to keep drying my hands and the razor's handle so I can control it and don't cut myself-too slick. I found the Proraaso soap clumpy and hard to work into a lather. I've been changing blades about once per week but shave only 3-4 times per week. In general, I'm getting a great shave and discovered how pleasant it is to take a little extra time and do it right.
I have a second home and decided to get a second razor and shaving kit. I purchased Feather razor with Feather blades and the same Parker brush. The Merkur is going to the weekend house. I bought the same Proraso pre-shave cream but changed to Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream, which is much easier to build a lather with and smells better than the Proraso soap, less "medication" smell. I probably splurged a little quickly on the Feather but what a razor! It shaves closely and is damn near impossible to cut myself with. I love the fact that the handle is knurled which eliminates the need to keep drying my hands and the razor as I do with the Merkur. During my exploration of your site and others I discovered scuttles and purchased a G12 from Georgetown Pottery, which works like a charm-warm lather is fantastic. I've watched a few on line videos of guys mixing up shaving cream and have to say that I don't mix up anywhere near the amount the guys in the videos mix up-maybe they do it for demonstration purposes. I mix enough to thoroughly load the brush and about 1/4" in the scuttle. This is more than enough for 4 full face lathers thick enough that you can't see skin when applied (3 shaves, one with the grain, one against, the third cross-grain and the fourth for touch-ups as I'm still getting my technique down). I'm getting a shave that lasts twice as long as when I used cartridges and my skin has cleared up. I've found I've also gained an appreciation for how rewarding an experience shaving with a double edge razor can be. You can teach an old dog new tricks! Wish I'd learned this "trick" years ago. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated-better than learning from the school of hard knocks. Thanks again!
I
